In Emerson’s essay “Nature” it is stated that adults are unable to see nature, and that what they do see is purely superficial. A person might see the sun, but they will not consider its warmth, illumination, and incredible significance. I find it magnificent that what he says here continues to ring true with the present day, as it seems fewer people truly embrace the beauty and glory that is the natural world. I believe this essay is attempting to show how nature should invoke these emotions, and that those who do not feel so are not only numb but also blind to the beauty of the world around them. Might this be why Emerson equates himself to a transparent eyeball? He sees and feels the world with no reservations and no barriers. By seeing the world through the eyes of a poet he is able to experience the earth the way it was intended and the way many adults cannot. There is, however, a place where one might remove this blindness and see firsthand the beauty of the natural world.
It is suggested that the woods acts as a sort of portal to a consciousness that enables one to experience and appreciate the natural world in such a way. Entering the woods is a return to Eden, and childlike innocence and wonder are restored. Emerson equates this return to youth as a shedding of years, much like a snake shedding its skin. It is curious that he uses the image of a serpent, though, as this most often symbolizes the original sin and evil. However, in this context and with this tone, the snake is not presented as an evil entity, but as an organism capable of renewal and innocence alongside man.
To look with innocent and youthful eyes is the only way to truly look upon nature and allow it to take effect. For who doesn’t feel small and humbled upon looking upward through a dense redwood forest? These are not buildings man has made, and these are not images conjured by our ideas. We did not create the earth, and the knowledge that we understand very little about even our human nature, is overwhelming. This sublime feeling is enjoyable, and sought after by many by means of camping, hiking and exploring. Removal of ones self from a city or town is to find peace in the solitude of nature.
You make some great observations about Emerson’s use of the snake as metaphor for the type of experience that takes place in the woods. You are correct that Emerson is interested in the snake as an organism of renewal (not as evil). I also really like your characterization of the woods as a “portal to consciousness.” You might want to pursue this idea further and think a bit more about what Emerson says it is about the woods that makes such shifts in consciousness possible. Also, you state that the poet is able to see the world in “the way it was intended.” You seem to suggest that the poet’s way of perceiving the world is more “real” than other modes of perception. However, what do you make of the fact that the poet’s mode of perception (i.e. the transparent eyeball experience) is highly constructed and self-conscious, even choreographed?
I really liked this post. Specifically, the way you talked about entering the woods as a return to Eden. I think that this is exactly what Emerson was trying to depict. He meant that the wilderness was a place that you visit to restore balance and comfort to our lives, or another words, a form of pleasure.
I really like your use of metaphors in the second paragraph. Especially the way you interpreted Emerson’s use of the woods as a portal to a consciousness. Great close reading of Emerson.
I enjoyed reading your post. Your statements about how few people in the world can see the environment’s natural beauty rings true in my mind. I sometimes think about traveling to new places and being able to see more of the natural world. Also, I never thought about looking at the snake as a symbol of renewal. That being said, it made sense to me.
I really enjoyed your post. Very fascinating and clever use of metaphors. I liked how you compared entering the woods as a “portal of consciousness.” I agree too that in order to really see the world, the way that it was intended to be seen, one must refocus their lens. We cannot view Earth as society today wants Earth to be viewed, as a mere means of consumption, but rather we should look at it in a way that we are only able to witness its vast beauty. Not what we can take from it.
When I read Emerson’s “Nature” I got the same sort of feeling about innocence however, you have taken it to a whole new level than I had. The eye of the innocence is clearer and understanding compared to people who have experienced and have judgements.